


The Planet's Protector

by Ebonrune



Series: Children Of The Lifestream [3]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-20
Updated: 2018-11-26
Packaged: 2019-08-29 04:23:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16737031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ebonrune/pseuds/Ebonrune
Summary: Sequel to The Planet's Enemy. Sephiroth is free of Cloud's mind in a body of his own, but there are still other problems to be solved, and time might be running out.





	1. Continuance

Vincent sighed heavily and collapsed onto Cid's couch, putting a hand over his eyes. He almost couldn't believe he'd put himself into this situation willingly.

It wasn't that Trisha was a difficult baby. Far to the contrary, Vincent hadn't had to give Shera and Cid much help with her at all. It was _Kyle_ who was being the problem. Having been an only child for the first three years of his life, the toddler didn't like someone else taking his 'baby' role away from him and had become quite demanding. Even worse, he'd degenerated to behaving like a baby himself again, refusing to talk and instead crying to try and get what he wanted. He'd also decided to forget that he was potty trained, so they were having to use his overnight diapers.

Cid had been at the end of his rope by the time Vincent had shown up, and even Shera, who was usually more serene, had been starting to lose her temper. They'd all but foisted Kyle on Vincent so that they could concentrate on the newborn.

He didn't blame them for it. They didn't know he hadn't been sleeping well. He could usually handle Kyle, and under normal circumstances Vincent was sure he could have gotten things under control quickly. Unfortunately, Kyle had decided that being handed over to Vincent to care for meant his parents didn't love him any more and nothing Vincent, Cid or Shera said seemed able to convince him otherwise, since they'd 'replaced' him with the baby.

Vincent loved his godson, he knew he did, but having to repeat that fact to himself to keep from strangling the youngster wasn't a good sign. To make matters even worse, Chaos thought killing the child was a good idea and told Vincent that if he didn't do it, it would. Galian, who had decided that Kyle was pack, hadn't agreed and the two monsters had been fighting for about two hours now and giving Vincent a hell of a headache. Somehow in spite of that, he'd managed to get Kyle to go down for a nap, pointing out that if he wanted to be a baby so badly that he'd need to take naps like his little sister did.

Now he sat on the couch, trying not to whimper at the clamor going on in his head. He'd never had the monsters fighting each other before, and while Hell Masker and Death Gigas existed on different 'levels', without the protomateria, Chaos was free to roam as it liked and the only thing standing between it and absolute freedom to slaughter the Highwind household was Galian and Vincent's own willpower.

Finally a whimper _did_ escape Vincent's throat and he blindly grabbed a pillow to shove over his face, praying that Cid was taking a nap with Shera and Trisha, as he didn't think he could handle his friend's loud voice right then. "Shut up..." He groaned at the monsters. "Neither of you are hurting anyone I care about." He hissed when Chaos growled at him. "I'll take Cerberus to my head before I let that happen!"

Chaos appeared startled and ceased fighting with Galian, settling deeper into Vincent's mind and finally allowing him some peace. He could have cried from the pain finally easing up.

"Vince?" Cid's voice traveled to him from down the hall. "The hell you tryin' to suffocate yourself with one of my goddamn pillows for?!"

Vincent gave a heavy sigh and let the pillow drop, lifting his head to look at his friend. "Just a headache....it's abated for the moment."

"Heh." Cid stepped over to collapse on the couch next to Vincent. "I hear ya. Kyle's turned into a goddamn hellion." He sighed and shook his head. "Still, I'm glad you came by when you did. I was about ready to chuck the kid out with the trash."

Vincent smiled thinly. "While I am glad I was able to give some help, I really shouldn't stay. I....am not well, Cid. I may hurt your family."

Cid turned and looked at the other man with an unreadable expression for a few moments. ".....Need some more time to come to grips with everything that's happened?" He asked with honest sympathy.

Vincent sighed and averted his own gaze to look off at the far wall. "You didn't give me a chance to explain when I arrived. Cid....I have no way to control Chaos any longer. The protomateria is gone. If it is the Planet's will, then it will somehow return to me, but until then....I am as dangerous as I was when you all first met me. Perhaps more so. It will not take the heat of battle to allow Chaos free. Not anymore."

"......Well, shit." Cid sat back and thought for a few moments before sighing heavily and nodding. "Alright then, Vince. You do what you've gotta do. Just let us know you're doing okay every so often. Or that you're still alive in any event." He reached out to grab Vincent's shoulder and gave him a firm shake. "I heard what you goddamn well said about shooting yourself. Don't you dare, or I'll come find your ass and beat it back to life! You got me?!"

Vincent shut his eyes and sighed heavily. "I'll try to resist the urge, but if it comes down to a choice between my life and that of an innocent.....I will do as I feel I must."

"Oh, don't be so goddamn melodramatic." Cid snorted and took out a toothpick to chew on. "You've got more steel to you than that. We've all had our own hells, Vincent. You and Cloud like to be goddamn islands....well, cut that shit out! You having trouble, you call one of us." He punched Vincent in the arm this time. "And don't feed me that 'in my day' bull. You ain't _in_ your day anymore! There isn't any goddamn shame in asking for help! Even Barret knows that shit!"

Vincent chuckled faintly and opened his eyes, looking at Cid from the corners of them. "So it is only I and Cloud who hold the 'old-fashioned' view of not burdening others with our problems? Barret didn't use to ask for help, and neither did you. What's changed then?"

"I got married." Cid replied. "And Barret keeps in contact with Marlene. Women got sense sometimes that we men are too goddamn stubborn to get until we get it knocked into us. Red's stubborn too, but he's young and thinks he's gotta do the work of his entire goddamn tribe or some shit. If you can't handle Kyle without worrying that one of your monsters is gonna eat my kid, then why not head down to Edge? Maybe Marlene can talk some sense into you too."

"Marlene, hm?" Vincent moved to stand. "Not Tifa?"

Cid sighed. "Tifa doesn't understand Cloud, I don't think she has much goddamn chance of understanding you."

"True, I suppose." Vincent sighed. "Shelke is sometimes in Edge though....and I don't know if I'm ready to speak to her."

"Because of Lucrecia?" Cid stood up too, the toothpick hanging from the corner of his mouth. "She had the woman's memories. She's not her."

Vincent sighed heavily and moved to stand as well. ".....I'm sorry to leave you with Kyle, but I really don't think he's safe with me."

"I don't blame you, Vince. He's being a goddamn pain in the ass. _I_ can barely stand him right now." He clapped a hand on the taller man's shoulder. "Do what you've gotta do. Go where you've gotta go. Just check in every so often, goddamnit. We worry about you."

"I'll try."Vincent moved to head to the front hall and put his mid-calf black military-style boots on. "Cid..."

"Yeah?"

"Give Cloud a call. Ask him about Sephiroth."

"Ask him...? Why the hell would I?" Cid straightened up. "Is he having trouble with the bastard?"

"Ask him." Vincent straightened up and walked the few steps out the door, then was gone before Cid could think of something further to say.

".....Well, shit." Cid rubbed his head and closed the door behind his friend. As if he didn't have enough to think about concerning his home life, never mind outside of it.

\------------------------------------------------------------

Shelke opened her eyes and stared up at the ceiling of her room in the WRO complex. She sighed softly and moved to sit up, stifling a groan at the aching feeling in her bones that was becoming a constant companion.

Still, it was a welcome aching. It meant the growth hormone stimulants were working. As she was weaned off her mako dependency, it was becoming easier and easier for the stimulants to take hold and she was starting to grow at an accelerated rate. It was a highly experimental treatment of course, having never been done on anyone before her. If successful however, it could bring hope to those who suffered from the various forms of dwarfism, allowing their bodies to grow so that they could have normal lives.

For Shelke, the chance of benefits far outweighed the risks. If it was successful, then she could live her life as a normal 20 year old woman. If it failed, then she would either stop growing or be _unable_ to stop growing. At the very worst, growing her body at the accelerated rate it was being forced to endure could cause damage to her organs, brittleness of her bones or even kill her. In spite of these risks though, Shelke considered it worth it. She had been a human experiment once, at least this time it was by choice.

She looked off at the pale peach painted wall of her frugal room. _Would I be looked at the way men look at other women then? The way Vincent Valentine once looked at Lucrecia Crescent?_

She turned, swinging her legs off the bed and moved to stand. Vincent was her primary motivator. Not only because he was her most staunch supporter next to Denzel and Marlene, but because Lucrecia's memories effected the way Shelke looked upon the man. Though she no longer had the woman's personality eating away at her own, the data she had been forced to collect for the Tsviets had left its mark. A part of her felt guilty for feeling the way she did for Vincent, but a motivator was a motivator. She could sort out the rest once her objective was complete, which by her estimates, would be in approximately two more years.

She stretched slowly, groaning softly at the soreness of her body. There was always the risk that all of her wouldn't grow at the same time, that a muscle could pull free of her bone because it was too short for the length or somesuch. As the process accelerated, the risk would only grow and she knew soon she would no longer be able to attend school with Denzel and Marlene.

She knew she would miss it, the normalcy of a normal school day. At the same time however, a part of her was relieved. Denzel and Marlene were her only friends. No one else wanted to be around her, she was too strange, too different. She was holding her young friends back from having other people, it really was for the best.

Wandering the small room, trying to work out some of the soreness and get dressed, Shelke paused in front of her full-length mirror and looked at herself. There wasn't much yet, but her body was starting to change, starting to bloom. She wondered to herself what she would look like as she continued to get older. Would she look like her vaguely remembered mother, or perhaps more like Shalua?

Shalua. Thinking of her older sister, who she'd been taken from so young and never got the chance to get to know again. Who had given her life for Shelke, though Shelke was even now still trying to understand that kind of selflessness. But then, how could she know her sister's mind when she hadn't gotten to know her?

Shelke turned away from the mirror to continue dressing. At least when it came to Shalua she had a plan. The dead could return to life, that had already been proven with Zack Fair and Angeal Hewley. She would find the way, and she would make it happen. Then she could get to know her sister.

\------------------------------------------------------------

" _WHAT?!?!_ "

Cloud winced and held the phone well away from his ear while that initial exclaimation was followed by a string of curses that would probably have been blistering his ears and curling his toes if he hadn't been in the Infantry. Once the tirade showed signs of slowing down, he warily put the phone back to his ear.

"Are you done yet, Cid?"

"You're a _goddamn moron_!" Cid spat, though he seemed to have run out of the more creative expletives. "Why the _hell_ did you let Sephiroth get a hold of his clone? Or better yet, why didn't you cut its goddamn head off?!"

"And get him right back into _my_ head? Yeah, I don't think so." Cloud sighed and pinched his brow, leaning back on his bike. " _Believe me_ , I don't like this either, but he said 'humanity has a year' and I'm holding him to that. That gives us a year to prepare, and a year to maybe keep him from possessing anyone else should he decide to go back to his old habits and we have to kill him."

"And you're just trusting his goddamn _word?! You_ of all people?!"

Cloud made an annoyed sound in his throat. "Yes, I know. Look Cid, what choice do I have? I gave him a year. If I go after him now it'll make _me_ look bad, and with how good he is at wordplay....no. As long as he keeps his word, I'll keep mine."

"Do you even know where he _is_?!"

"No, but--"

"You mean you're just letting _Sephiroth_ run all goddamn willy nilly wherever he wants?!"

"What do you expect me to do? Babysit him?"

"Maybe you could have him goddamn well _arrested_ , or some shit!"

Cloud gave a soft snort. "I doubt there's a prison anywhere on the Planet that could hold him, Cid. Let's be realistic, here. SOLDIERs are just too strong."

"Well what the hell did Shinra do if they lost control of'm then? Goddamn, useless...."

"They just killed them, as far as I know." Cloud glanced at Zack, who was crouched down by the place he'd died. "I wouldn't know for sure though, I was only Infantry. We have a year, Cid. That's all I can give you right now."

"......I can't goddamn well believe you, Spiky." Cid hung up.

Cloud sighed heavily and shut his cell to put it away, then looked over at Zack again, who was looking off at the distance, then cocked his head as if listening to something.

"What is it?" Cloud straightened up from where he was leaning against Fenrir and followed Zack's gaze, but all he saw was Edge and the decaying husk of Midgar.

"Mm...." Zack shook his head and looked back at the flowers that marked the place he'd died. "Donno." He ran a hand lightly over the plants. ".....How many years has it been?"

"Hm? Since what?"

".....Since I'd died." Zack's voice was quiet.

Cloud considered his friend for a few moments. "About four years now."

"Four years...." Zack repeated. "So I should be twenty seven now. Instead I look younger than you."

Cloud gave a light snort. "You don't look _that_ young, Zack. Even with your old haircut." He shrugged. "Mako is a preservative, we both know that. We probably won't look our ages until we're old."

"How old did Sephiroth look?"

Cloud grimaced. "It isn't like I took a good look at him. What does it even matter? Haven't I caught enough hell as it is for not taking his head off when I had the chance?"

"Not giving you hell, man." Zack did a couple of squats before straightening up and turning to face his friend. "Just asking."

"It doesn't matter. That body was alive. If it had been grown at a normal rate...." Cloud shrugged. "I'm not a scientist. It doesn't matter anyway."

"Guess not." Zack looked back over his shoulder at the horizon again, then turned back to Cloud. "You gonna let me drive back?"

"The _hell_ I am!" Cloud got astride his bike and pulled up his driving goggles. "Get your own bike if you want to drive one so badly."

"But I'm a good driver!" Zack protested, pouting at his friend. "I drove _you_ all over the place while you were comatose."

"Good for you." Cloud responded. "But I'm not, and you're not driving Fenrir."

"But she's so pretty!"

"He." Cloud corrected. "And I know. Get your own."

Zack sighed heavily and started over. "Where'd you get yours, then?"

"Johnny. One of Tifa's old friends who'd left to find his fortune like I had. He gave me the bike in exchange for a lifetime of free meals at Seventh Heaven."

"Well, _that's_ not very helpful!" Zack moved to get on the bike behind Cloud, but then paused and looked back again.

"What are you _looking_ at?!" Cloud was a little annoyed at once more not seeing anything.

"Nothing....I just feel like something's wrong over in that direction."

"What....in Edge?"

Zack shook his head. "No. Further away." He sighed and turned back to get on the bike. "I'm probably imagining it."

Cloud looked back at him and gave him a funny look. ".....Being in the Lifestream made you weird."

Zack gave him a crooked smile. "Aerith says I'm a 'psudo-Cetra' since I was awake for so long. It's so dead around here though that I don't really get anything. When we were in Gongaga though....it was almost like being high."

"....Right." Cloud rolled his eyes behind the goggles and turned away. "And here I thought you were just being you."

"Well, that too...and then there was Genesis and Angeal and that kinda dulled the mood for a while...."

"Whatever." Cloud turned on the bike. "Hang on." And he started forward only to pull a 180° and peel off in the other direction. He couldn't help but smile slightly at Zack's yelp. It was mean to do to him, but it amused Cloud to no end that he could rattle the former SOLDIER. Of course, he figured full well when Zack inevitably got his own motorcycle that if Cloud ever had reason to ride on it, he'd be subjected to similar stunts. Until that day came though, he would just keep messing with his friend.

\------------------------------------------------------------

The Northern Contient. Cold and all but barren, it none the less still held life. The village below with the strange name of 'Icicle Inn', filled with human life. They also had animals of course; dogs and exceptionally fluffy chocobos bred for the cold weather, but it was the humans that held Sephiroth's attention.

He watched them move below him from his perch high in an evergreen tree with his black cloak wrapped tightly around himself and his braided hair curled around his neck in attempts to hold back the chill. He was keeping the promise he'd made to Cloud and was observing with as unbiased an eye as he could. The humans of Icicle Inn were, in Sephiroth's opinion, the only ones besides the Wutai who might be able to save their species. They had a mako reactor, but it was cold and filled with ice. They instead used a turbine to harness the winds that flowed from the crater and they also used oil and gas to heat their homes. 

They seemed to be working with rather than against the Planet and though the blood that flowed in his veins was half alien rather than Cetra as he had once assumed and he still thought nothing of crashing another planetoid into it if he could, his sympathies essentially lay with the world.

 _Even if I cracked this world in half and took the Lifestream into myself, it would be better off and I could create a paradise elsewhere._ His breath fogged in front of him when he exhaled heavily. But there was of course a problem with even that plan. Other than the black materia having been lost somewhere in the crater--if not having been swallowed back up by the Planet when Holy had exploded out of the ground--there was also his reason for having given humanity a chance to begin with.

Angeal; his best friend. His _only_ friend. The only person who's opinion still somehow mattered. The man who'd had himself killed by Zack's hand for reasons Sephiroth still did not understand. Who had since returned in a clone body, as had Zack himself. They hadn't spoken, and a part of Sephiroth was afraid to track the other man down and begin the dialogue. Perhaps it was the part of him that still clung to what humanity he still had, that might be ashamed of his actions. Even if most of those actions had actually been carried out by Jenova in his form, he couldn't deny that the hand that had summoned Meteor had been his own.

A deep, low rumble caught his attention and he lifted his head to look over in the direction of the crater, where the sound was originating. He watched as snow seemed to shake itself off the distant cliff face and tilted his head slightly in puzzlement.

 _An earthquake?_ Such things were common in the area, at least compared to the rest of Gaia, but this was the first that Sephiroth had ever experienced and he wondered what would happen next. He waited, but the rumbling faded away and he was about to turn back to the village when it returned, this time the sound much deeper and longer. His eyes widened slightly when the land by the crater abruptly dipped, only to then heave up like an ocean wave. The rumbling got louder and was now being accompanied by loud cracking sounds as the permafrost and layers of snow were violently disturbed by the heaving ground.

Sephiroth tore his eyes away from the fascinating sight to look back at the town. The animals were well in a state of panic, sled dogs pulling desperately at their chains and chocobos trying to escape their pens. The humans didn't have the vantage point Sephiroth did, but they could clearly hear the noises. They were exiting their homes in hurried states to try and calm their animals, but they didn't know quite what was coming for them.

Sephiroth threw back the cloak to spread his wing and leave the tree. Once well above, he swung around once more to watch the approaching wave of land and his eyebrows shot up in surprise.

Though it was in the distance still and the heaving and rocking seemed to be settling down, deep cracks had opened up in the land, but rather than Lifestream escaping, Sephiroth saw magma seeping up from beneath.

 _In such a Lifestream-rich area, the undercrust is exposed instead?_ Curiouser and curiouser, and what was going on to cause such a violent upheaval to begin with? His eyes drifted from the bleeding ground to the crater and he took note that a fissure appeared to have opened up in the wall, exposing it to the outside without a need to climb up over the top.

Sephiroth swung around again as the earthquake finally reached Icicle Inn and he watched as cracks opened up beneath the town, swallowing buildings, people and animals like a great hungry beast. Again, the lack of Lifestream and presence instead of magma was puzzling.

He then realized something else as well. The Planet, which normally would hum out its pains, was silent. The only sounds being created were by the earth itself as it tore itself open, but nothing from the voice of the Planet.

He swung back to the crater once more, ignoring what was happening below him and frowned. Something was wrong. Gaia was silent, the Lifestream absent. What was going on?

 _"htorihpeS..."_ The voice snaked into his head with a whisper and he stiffened in surprise, falling several feet in the air before catching himself. _"emoC ot su, devoleb htorihpeS. eW dluow emoclew uoy. uoY dluow reven eb enola niaga."_

Sephiroth shook his head and put a hand to it. The voice was familiar to him, it was Mother calling to him. But as when she'd spoken to him before--when he'd still been trapped in Cloud's mind--he couldn't understand what was being said. How was she speaking to him at all? After her head had been absorbed by Kadaj to bring him back to life, Sephiroth had thought she would be gone. Was she speaking to him through the polluted stream created by the victims of Geostigma? It was the only explanation he could think of, but the fact remained that he still didn't know what she wanted, and if he was perfectly honest with himself, he wasn't sure if he wanted to know or even that it was more than his own mind playing games with him.

He shook his head again and turned from the crater once more to fly over what was now the burning remains of Icicle Inn. If any life existed down there, the fires would take care of it. Fire purged many things and he had more important things to consider than the fates of some humans.


	2. Northern

The Planet had woken up, and it was screaming.

Sephiroth flapped his wing near furiously, hands over his ears as the ground bucked and broke apart below him and the Planet wailed in _very_ audible agony. The Lifestream, previously absent, was flooding out of the ground so thickly it looked more like a mako lake and certainly smelled enough like one to make even Sephiroth woozy. He looked around for a place where the earthquake wasn't shattering the ground, but even at the height he'd climbed to, no reprieve seemed to be in sight.

Finally, with no idea where a safe place to land might be, Sephiroth began to wing south. The destruction had started in the direction of the distant crater, so it made sense to head away from it, watching the ground below him as he traveled to see where an end to the destruction might be. After an apparent eternity, the Planet's screams of pain finally began to abate, and he was leaving the destruction behind. The sounds of the Planet were then replaced by another noise however, and it took Sephiroth several moments to realize it wasn't caused by his abused eardrums.

He looked up to find a news helicopter hovering a near distance from him, their camera aimed straight at him. How long had they been there, following and filming him? Was it a live feed, or would it be edited before it was aired? They had obviously come--in good time, mind--to find out what had happened, and having spotted him, well that made for a great news story. He made for the copter, which banked away from him almost immediately to try and escape, as if they could.

"Slow." Sephiroth intoned, activating one of the materia he had found in the weeks since parting company from Cloud and his ex-Turk friend. The helicopter shuddered as the magic took hold, ensuring Sephiroth didn't even need to strain himself. He cancelled the magic only once he'd alighted on the machine's landing skids, invoking a gasp from the cameraman and an aborted scream from the reporter, as to them he had appeared from literally out of nowhere.

He reached out to turn the camera away from his face since the nervy camera man was still aiming it at him. "Go." He told them. "If you can still hear yourselves think when you get to where Icicle Inn used to be, I'll be impressed." He paused. "Oh....and you can feel free to let your viewers know I was just an unfortunate bystander to the whole mess." He pushed away from the copter and dropped under it so as to get out of view before they could try continuing to film him. That disclaimer was for Cloud, though he doubted he would be believed and didn't really care. Cloud would find out, and Cloud would come. If the blond fool cared to listen, Sephiroth might even tell him what he'd seen.

\------------------------------------------------------------

"Ohh, that's not good." Zack intoned as Cloud slowed on approach to Seventh Heaven. Recently, TV billboards had been set up around the town by the WRO, meant to report urgent news and warn people of any possible dangers the Planet might throw at them.

"An earthquake of an estimated 9.5 magnitude has been detected at the Northern Continent." The newscaster was saying. "It is advised that the residents of Gongaga, Wutai, Junon and Costa Del Sol evacuate and head to higher ground, as tidal waves that could reach heights of up to thirty three feet are estimated."

"I _knew_ something was going on!" Zack exclaimed, pointing at the TV. "Man, I've gotta call my parents. They don't have a TV!"

"Mm....yeah." Cloud said absently. "A 9.5 is a big earthquake."

"Sure sounds like it to me, especially if tidal waves are going to swamp Gongaga and Wutai." Zack frowned. "I hope Yuffie knows about this. I hope everyone gets inland safely."

"I'll call Yuffie on the landline once we get to the bar." Cloud said, and was about to carry on his way when the report went live to a view from a helicopter. The camera was tracking something in the air, something with a large, single black wing.

"Oh. _Fuck._ " Cloud breathed, stopping his bike outright and staring in abject horror. The location forested and snowy, it could only mean one thing.

"Fuck!" Cloud gunned the motor, nearly causing Zack to topple off Fenrir backward as he tore off, weaving around vehicles and people. He abandoned Fenrir at Seventh Heaven and ran inside. "Tifa!"

He stopped just in the door. Seventh Heaven had patrons, but no one had given him more than a moment's notice, all of their attention on the TV installed on the wall, tuned to the same channel as the ones outside.

Cloud was transfixed in horror as Sephiroth seemed to appear out of nowhere in front of the camera. There was a strangled scream from the reporter, who leaned away sharply and almost toppled out of his seat. They got an up close and personal of Sephiroth's angry cat-slitted eyes before he pushed the camera away from his face. "Go." They heard him growl. "If you can still hear yourselves think when you get to where Icicle Inn used to be, I'll be impressed." The camera shuddered violently before Sephiroth spoke again. "Oh....and you can feel free to let your viewers know I was just an unfortunate bystander to the whole mess." Then his wing, which the camera had been forcefully trained on, was gone and so was he, ducking out of sight before the cameraman could think to try finding him again.

"W-Well, you heard it here first." The reporter said as the camera slowly came around to focus on him again. "We'll--" He paused to gulp. "W-We'll be continuing on to Icicle Inn now. B-Back to you."

Cloud cleared the doorway slowly as Zack pushed him aside from behind, both of them somewhat owl-eyed and matching the expressions of just about everyone else. Tifa slowly turned away from the TV, pale and slightly shaky. Her gaze focused on Cloud, looking betrayed. It was easy to know why. In spite of Sephiroth claiming he had nothing to do with this earthquake, what were the chances of it actually being true? People were dead and it was on his head, just like Cid had said.

Something in Cloud snapped and he spun around to push back out the door, and after a moment, Zack followed him. "Cloud."

"This is my fault." Cloud intoned, voice barely above a whisper. "I let him go. I trusted he would keep his word, and now people are dead. I did this Zack. I didn't keep an eye on him, and now Icicle Inn...."

"We've gotta get there." Zack said. "We have to....I don't know. We have to talk to him." He sounded almost as dazed as Cloud felt.

Cloud laughed humorlessly. "'Talk'. Right." His phone rang and he reached for it automatically, answering it and putting it to his ear.

"Cloud!" Cid yelled in his ear. "What the hell'd I tell you?! You saw the goddamn news, right?! You know what Sephiroth did?!"

"I know, Cid." Cloud said numbly. "I know. I'm....so sorry...." He hung up, then held the phone back to Zack. "Here. Call your parents and let's go. Maybe we can hitch a ride with the WRO."

"Oh, uh. Right." Zack took the phone to dial his parents and let them know to evacuate, then handed the phone back to Cloud before they headed to the bike. They didn't notice Tifa exit the bar just as Cloud peeled out with Zack hanging on for dear life. She watched them go silently and then put a hand to her face, choking back a sob and mourning for the lives lost at Icicle Inn even as she saw the flames of Nibelheim dancing behind her eyes.

\------------------------------------------------------------

Vincent had been heading into the woods outside of Rocket Town when he abruptly doubled over in pain. Chaos's darkness enveloped him, and when it released him again he found himself in a far more frigid environment. Blinking in surprise, Vincent looked around himself and then leapt up, reaching out with his gauntleted hand to grab a branch and propel himself upward. He continued in this manner until he got as high as he could go before the branches became too small to support him and looked out across the landscape. He could feel Chaos's fury, but it took him a few moments to see why. The Lifestream was streaming from the ground so viciously even from the distance Vincent was from it he could smell it. He could also hear the Planet's screaming.

"Good Ramuh, what happened here?" He muttered. "Chaos?"

 _"We express rage!"_ The protoweapon answered him. _"We express fury! Defilement! Calamity!"_

"Calamity..." Vincent repeated. What an interesting choice of words, considering he could dimly see the Northern Crater in the distance, where Jenova had originally been found and where Sephiroth had originally been defeated. The Calamity From The Sky. What had happened to cause the Lifestream to be reacting so fiercely? Then there came the question as to why Chaos had forced Vincent to come to the location but was taking no further action.

"You."

Vincent turned his head to see Sephiroth alighting in a nearby tree, wing remaining partly unfurled. The other man watched him for several moments, then turned away to watch the Lifestream. "I didn't cause this."

Interesting. "Then who did?"

Sephiroth's lip quirked up slightly. "An interesting question, Valentine. I don't think I'd mind the answer to that myself." He glanced at Vincent again. "The undercrust exposed itself first."

"The Lifestream was absent?" Vincent straightened up slightly from his crouch in surprise.

"Indeed." Sephiroth flexed his wing as an aftershock shuddered through the ground, shaking even the trees they were taking refuge in. "For several minutes. Where could it have been, I wonder?"

It was Vincent's turn to eye Sephiroth. "It's awfully coincidental that you should be here and then something like this happens."

"I won't disagree, but as you well know, I gave my word to give humanity a chance, and it has only been a week."

"Yes." Vincent flexed his right hand, feeling the glove creak. He allowed the conversation to lapse into silence for several minutes and he and Sephiroth watched as the Lifestream finally began to calm, forming a mako lake where once Icicle Inn had been.

"Sephiroth." Vincent spoke then. "What will you do if Jenova proves to be alive? Will you break your word?"

"She lives." Sephiroth replied in an oddly flat tone. "She's spoken to me twice since my awakening. The problem is I cannot understand what she's saying, so I cannot follow her will." He shrugged, his wing rustling with the movement. "Until I know what her desires for me are, I have no way of answering that."

Vincent considered this briefly. "Why don't you follow your own will anyway?" He suggested. "You've spent your life as the pawn of others, so why not step off the board entirely and decide your own fate?"

Sephiroth chuckled lowly. "You're one to talk about pawns when you're one yourself." He tilted his head to regard Vincent in amusement. "How long before the Protoweapon devours you?"

"No telling." Vincent replied calmly. "But unlike me, you have choices...or are you merely Jenova's puppet?"

Sephiroth twitched at being called a puppet, but didn't answer and instead gave his wing an irritated twitch.

Vincent didn't push the conversation and allowed the silence to stretch again, deciding he would stay where he was as long as he could or until Sephiroth left, whichever took place first.

\------------------------------------------------------------

When Cloud and Zack had arrived at the Edge location of the WRO, they found it in a state of organized chaos. Would it be possible to find Reeve in this bedlam? Was he even at this location? Cloud shook his head. They didn't need to find Reeve, just someone going in the same direction as them. He headed for one of the helicopters. "Where are you headed?"

"Mr. Strife!" The agent he was addressing exclaimed in surprise. "We're heading to Junon to help with the evacuation. Our base in the city is too small, and they'll need all the help they can get."

"Understood. I'll stay out of your way." Cloud stepped back and turned toward another helicopter. He got similar answers two more times and was beginning to wonder if anyone was concerned with Icicle Inn when he asked a fourth time and finally found a copter heading in the right direction. They were more heavily armed than the other dispatches, and they were far grimmer.

"You don't need these many people." Cloud said to the agent he was speaking to. "Zack and I will confront Sephiroth. All we need is a willing pilot to get us there."

"But Commissioner Tuesti said--"

"That was before we got here." Cloud interrupted. "No else needs to risk their lives."

"Yes sir! But respectfully we're coming along anyway. You may still need backup and cover fire."

Cloud shook his head. "....No. You're just going to get yourselves killed." He turned to Zack. "Come on Zack, tell him."

"He's right." Zack said, stepping over. "You really don't want to be involved in this."

"Then we'll go and see if there are any survivors." The man replied, and decided the conversation was concluded as he went right back to helping the others prepare to leave.

Zack shook his head, planting his hands on his hips. "Okay, we tried."

"I don't want to be responsible for their lives." Cloud murmured.

"We're not, they aren't your problem. We're just hitching a ride." Zack clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Come on. Let's get seated before someone else takes the best spots!"

"Great." Cloud muttered. He knew they needed to get there, but sitting on a crowded helicopter was going to ramp his claustrophobia all the way up to 11.

\------------------------------------------------------------

Vincent and Sephiroth had remained in their high perches, not speaking further and simply watching the new mako lake as it settled. Sephiroth wrapped his braid around his neck again and tucked his wing around his body, cold but unwilling to leave the tree before Vincent left his. Unfortunately for his pride, Vincent didn't seem bothered by the cold at all other than the frost that was collecting on his gauntlet, forcing him to have to flex that hand in order to break it off. They maintained their silent vigil until the sound of engines came to their attention. First it was the news chopper flying over them, the cameraman leaning way out to catch a glimpse as they flew past, and then a few minutes later from the other direction, prompting them both to turn to look.

"WRO." Vincent reported flatly. "About time."

"Hmph." Sephiroth swept his wing back and prepared to take to the sky, but when Vincent raised his hand to signal for him to wait, for some reason he opted to obey. Perhaps it was curiosity, or perhaps it was the desire to not look like he was fleeing from people who didn't stand a chance against him, even without Masamune in hand.

The double bladed chopper swung sideways and the side door slid open. "Vincent?!" Cloud called in surprise, a bit pallid from the journey. He looked between them. "Don't go anywhere!" He slid the door shut again and the copter swung away, looking for somewhere to land.

"What an interesting day this is shaping up to be." Sephiroth commented.

"Yes. Interesting." Vincent dropped out of the tree, flipping once before landing in the snow. Not to be outdone, Sephiroth folded away his wing and copied him, braid swinging loose as he landed. Then when Vincent started walking toward where the helicopter had gone, he opted to follow. The other man was making an easy path for him after all and he had nothing better to do.

By the time they'd reached the helicopter, which had gone in the direction of the new mako lake, they found it parked far from the shore with all the members of the copter--including Zack and Cloud--wearing mako diffusion masks to filter the effects. Most of the occupants had fanned out to try and find any possible survivors, though they had to already know no one would be found. When Cloud saw them approaching, he moved away from the copter to approach them, Zack trailing behind.

"Okay." Cloud said, voice muffled by the diffuser. "I'm going to choose to believe you didn't do this, so what happened?"

Sephiroth rolled his eyes before giving a put upon sigh. "An earthquake happened. Your friend assumes it was a someone, but I think it was just the Planet."

"The undercrust was however apparently exposed before the Lifestream." Vincent spoke up, eyeing Sephiroth for a moment before his gaze slid back to Cloud. "And now it's overcompensating. I wasn't present for that part, but Chaos panicked and had to see for itself what was taking place before it calmed down."

"Can either of you--or Chaos--provide any answers?" Cloud asked. "And what's the undercrust?"

Sephiroth snorted loudly. "Ignorant. The Lifestream is the blood and life of Gaia, but the undercrust is the heat. The Planet would die just as easily if the undercrust cooled as if the Lifestream left. Weren't you taught anything?"

"I grew up in the country, Sephiroth." Cloud stated with irritation. "I didn't get the benefit of a higher education like you did."

Zack rubbed the back of his head. "Y'know. This is the first I've heard about it too....I didn't grow up with a TV, and it's not something a typical SOLDIER would need to know, you know?"

"Of course." Vincent said. "The important takeaway here is that for the Lifestream to not immediately respond anywhere, but especially here, means it was heavily occupied by something else, and I would wager that something else is in the crater."

"Mother." Sephiroth breathed.

Cloud made a disgusted sound. "We destroyed every last bit of her, Sephiroth. There's no way Jenova is still around."

Sephiroth tilted his head slightly and smirked. "On the contrary, Cloud. She lives in me, in you and perhaps still in Zack as well. So long as her cells circulate in our bodies, she still lives."

Cloud twitched. "Even so, that's not the same."

"Yet what else could it be but she?" Sephiroth asked and raised an arm to point to the Northen Crater and the passageway now cut in its side. "If she was gone, the Planet would have healed its wound, yet it remains."

"Is that why you won't just die like your remnants did?" Cloud asked. "Because Jenova is keeping you here?"

Sephiroth shrugged expressively. "Who knows?"

"This is beyond the point." Vincent spoke up. "This area is too dangerous to remain in for long, and callous as it is, it's unlikely anyone will be found alive. We should return to Edge." He looked at Sephiroth. "Perhaps you should come with us."

Sephiroth blinked and then burst out laughing, drowning out Cloud's incredulous protest. "Me? Go with you? Do you hear yourself, Valentine? I'd scarcely be welcome, and especially there."

"I suppose that's true." Vincent conceded. "Then I think I'll keep you company instead. It would--"

"No." Sephiroth's wing sprouted from his back. "You've been an interesting short term distraction, but I have no interest in keeping the company of monsters, and make no mistake, you're turning into one."

"Vincent's more human than you ever could be." Cloud snarled. 

"Keep telling yourself that, puppet." Sephiroth launched into the sky, or rather he tried to, but Zack lunged forward at just the right second to grab his ankle and unbalance him from the unexpected weight, landing him backward into the ground instead. He found the Buster blade to his throat before he could get up.

"You can go if you want." Zack said, eyes glowing brightly. "But I want to make one thing clear first; you'd better stop throwing around the 'm' word unless you're talking about an _actual_ monster, because Angeal is still out there somewhere and I'm not going to lose him to that mentality again. I'll kick you back into your grave myself."

"He was my friend long before he was yours." Sephiroth growled. "Don't patronize me with a lecture."

"If you've forgotten your honor, then you're no better than Genesis." Zack replied, stepping back and putting the sword onto his back. "We've all been given second chances for one reason or another, Sephiroth. Don't blow yours."

Sephiroth flipped back to his feet and shook his wing off, lip curled back in disgust. "Touch me again and I'm cutting your arm off."

"Threaten my friends again and I'll cut off a lot more than that." Cloud replied.

Vincent sighed loudly. "Enough, all of you. You're adults, so act like it." He turned to Sephiroth and nodded to him. "I'm sure we'll meet again."

"I'm sure." Sephiroth said sourly and once more tried to take to the sky. This time no one stopped him.


	3. Wings

"Vincent. You said Chaos brought you here?" Cloud said, trying to track Sephiroth as he flew away. "Should we be concerned about that?"

"Hm. I'm not sure." Vincent frowned and looked over at the mako lake. "Chaos is...different than it was before. It's able to speak now and express opinions and desires. It was sentient before, but now I believe its achieved true sapience. Its presence in my body is a choice it's making rather than a vessel that is its prison. I think...we're currently at an impasse."

Cloud gave up on trying to keep an eye on Sephiroth and turned to look at Vincent. "But if it leaves you, you'll start aging again." 

"Likely, yes."

"Is there anything that can be done about that?"

Vincent sighed softly and shook his head slightly. "Not that I know of. Chaos holds my body in a state of suspension and without it, it seems I am unlocked from the river of time, which casts me swiftly downriver in an effort to catch me up to my chronological age."

"....Right." Cloud glanced at Zack before his gaze returned to Vincent. "Though maybe that only happened because Chaos was torn out of you, and if it left on its own that won't happen?"

Vincent shook his head again and turned his head to look at him. "I don't know, Cloud. There are too many unknowns and I doubt Chaos would know the answers. I thought it had left me once before after the defeat of Deepground, but found that untrue. It had simply fallen silent, weakened after defeating Omega. This situation is unique to it. I imagine being truly self-aware is a shock to it. Weiss and Nero made more of it than it was, so all that surrounds it is unknowns."

Cloud sighed, but he had no choice but to accept this answer and nodded. "Fine. We should get back to Edge, or go to Junon and help evacuate before the tidal waves hit."

"What about the people?" Zack asked. "An entire village wiped out..." He dug into his pocket and pulled out the relic crystal he had been carrying around since their stint into Deepground's Reactor 0. It seemed like it had happened years ago. "Do you think this can bring them back?"

"You're the pseudo-Cetra, you tell us." Cloud replied, though he eyed the crystal suspiciously. Without the relic it did its job a little _too_ well.

Zack looked at the crystal, then at the mako lake before he sighed heavily and put it away again. "No, probably not." He said reluctantly. "Might end up causing something worse."

Cloud nodded slightly. "Yeah." He agreed. "In fact you should probably put that back where it belongs when we get back and we should get rid of that relic. Aerith probably meant for it to be a one time thing anyway."

"Something like this is better than a phoenix down." Zack replied, patting the pocket. "I don't think we should get rid of it. I'll put the crystal back, and then we'll keep it safe. Who knows? We might need it for something."

"....Alright." Cloud said. "For now anyway." He turned to head back to the helicopter and wait for the WRO to finish what they were doing. 

\------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey Elena!" Reno greeted her cheerfully when the younger Turk walked into the Shinra building in Junon where they had all migrated to since Meteor. The building wasn't as full as it once was, but it was still where the Turks called home and would continue to do so as long as Rufus continued to employ them. "Been a while! Glad to see you back."

Elena replied to his cheerful greeting by giving him the finger, but she was smiling, her eyes dancing with mirth. Reno was like the older brother she never wanted, but the Turks were all her family as far as she was concerned. "I heard you guys found some of the old crew while I was...recuperating."

Reno looked over at Rude, the only other Turk near them and made a face before looking back at Elena. "Yeah. Found your sister and Veld."

Elena stopped in her tracks with a squeak, but Rude shook his head.

"Veld declined our invitation to return." He stated.

"We've stopped looking for our old members." Reno spoke up again, tapping his electromag rod on his shoulder. He jerked his chin for Elena to join them and started walking. "There are some rumors flying around that we might be out of a job soon, yo."

"What do you mean?" Elena asked, hurrying to catch up. "I thought Shinra was going to migrate back to Eastern, try to restore Midgar?"

Reno shrugged. "Eh that might still happen, but with most of our Infantry and all the former SOLDIER now employed by Khymera Enviro, there's some talk going around that the President is going to just merge Shinra with Khymera and hand over everyone's employment to them. There ain't no way _I'm_ workin' for that woman, so if that happens I'm out and I'm bettin' most of the Turks feel the same way."

"Maybe the merger is that they're going to get married." Elena teased.

Reno choked and Rude fussily adjusted his tie. "Why? Did you hear something?"

Elena shook her head, but looked amused. "It would just be a best case scenario."

"You're such a girl sometimes." Reno said with an exasperated sigh, only to get punched. "Ow! What was that for?!"

"For saying 'girl' like it's a dirty word. No wonder my sister doesn't like you." Elena replied. "Anyway, what are we doing before the tidal wave hits Junon?"

"Reports think only the coast and lower level will be flooded, so we're safe here." Reno replied.

"Great." Elena said flatly. "So what are we _doing_? To help?"

Reno gave her a weird look. "What? Us? The Turks aren't doing a damn thing. Khymera Enviro is sending their stolen Infantry and SOLDIERs out, and I guess we're deploying what military we've got, but--"

"Never mind." Elena sped up her walk to head for the elevators. "Forget I asked."

Reno stopped and looked cluelessly at Rude. "Was it something I said?" 

Rude just shrugged and Reno huffed at him, but let the topic drop. He was probably going to be out of a job soon, so Elena being huffy at him was hardly the top of his priorities.

\------------------------------------------------------------

Angeal nearly collapsed when his feet hit the ground, and it was only by sheer willpower that he kept his knees from buckling. Somehow he managed to start walking, heading into a wild growing grove of Banora apples where he finally set down his burden against the trunk of one of them. Reaching up he grabbed a couple of apples and finally allowed himself to rest, sinking down to sit against the tree as well and holding one of the apples out. "Still with me, Genesis?"

"Somehow." Genesis reached out weakly for the apple, ending up having to grasp it with both hands to keep from dropping it. His body was entirely gray and seemed to be crumbling. He took a small bite and sucked, closing his eyes in bliss as the sweet moisture quenched his parched throat. As a last meal it wasn't so bad, though he still hoped for salvation. "Thank you, Angeal. If this is where I die, then I'm glad."

"Don't talk like that. I'm going to find your Goddess cave." Angeal said. If he'd had his way he never would have come to Banora again, but Genesis claimed there was a cave that held a statue of the Goddess and he had been restored there before. Angeal didn't believe in the Goddess the way Genesis did, but he could at least take him to the cave before he passed on. Maybe things would even work the way Genesis hoped it would, and if so, Angeal swore he'd pay more attention to Genesis's ramblings about LOVELESS.

Genesis smiled thinly. "Even if you do my friend, there's no guarantee of anything." He raised a hand up toward the branches above him. "The statue was destroyed, the Goddess came but one time. She may not come again. She may not save me."

"We'll try." Angeal stated, but privately he agreed with Genesis. If he was residing only in the body of a copy, then that would imply it had been a normal person who was changed and wasn't compatible. Though... "Isn't this body a clone? I remember seeing clones of you."

"Not this one. Those clones were all killed. I had to...find alternatives." Genesis stated.

Angeal nodded slightly. "I see." He looked away and bit into the apple. He didn't know what had caused that resurrection, and he had only dim dreamlike memories of wandering Modeoheim after taking his final breath. "My copies apparently endured for years after my death." He murmured. "I don't understand why you're fading so quickly."

"It's because I'm not like you." Genesis said softly. "Dreams of the morrow hath the shattered soul. Pride is lost, wings stripped away. The end is nigh." Genesis sighed. "I'm so tired..."

"Don't sleep yet, Genesis." Angeal set down his mostly uneaten apple and moved to pick his friend up. "Come on. We're going to find that cave."

Genesis chuckled weakly. "'Come on', he says. As if I have a choice." He closed his eyes briefly, but then forced them back open, afraid that if he fell asleep it really would be for the last time. "Sometimes I wonder if the puppy emulated you more, or if you've picked up some bad habits."

"I could do worse than emulate Zack." Angeal replied, doing his best to ignore the exhaustion in his limbs so he could carry Genesis to their destination. 

It wasn't an easy trek, though Genesis was able to at least point the way and Angeal carried him deep into a cave that had once had a building surrounding it. What he found there surprised him. There was indeed a crumbled statue, but behind it was what appeared to be an absolutely massive tree. Angeal couldn't see into the roof of the chamber very well, but what he could see was bathed in a greenish glow that made him think of mako, though he couldn't smell any. Practically stumbling by this time after having carried Genesis for as long as he had to even reach Banora, Angeal managed to set him down gently by the roots.

Genesis looked around and sighed tiredly. "I guess...this is it."

"Don't talk like that!" Angeal snapped. "There has to be more that can be done! What about more copies?"

Genesis chuckled softly. "Weiss made those, Angeal. I don't have the knowledge, and even if I did it took weeks. I don't have that long...."

Angeal knelt in front of him. "....Genesis..."

"Maybe the Infantryman can help..." Genesis's eyes shut. "Zack's blond friend."

"Cloud?" Cloud was half a world away at best, if he'd even gotten back out of Deepground. Angeal knew there was no hope of him reaching Edge in time, even if he hadn't already exhausted himself carrying Genesis.

"He has Sephiroth...he has the S-Cells..." Genesis's voice was growing fainter.

"You have to hang on!"

"I'm trying...."

Angeal swore softly and stood up again. Genesis was out of time and Angeal knew he could carry him no further. He didn't want to leave his friend alone in what were sure to be his last moments, but he had come back after death somehow, so maybe there was hope even if Genesis passed.

"Try to stay alive." Angeal said and turned to run back out of the cave, pushing his endurance as hard as he could. But before he left he wanted to make sure Genesis had one last thing, and he returned to him again with his arms full of Banora Whites to set down beside Genesis, placing one in his hand. Genesis gripped it weakly and smiled.

"Go Angeal. I'll try...I'll try to hang on."

"Yeah." Angeal turned and gathering his waning strength, ran out of the cave again. If there was a Goddess, then let her help him now. He had to reach help in time!

\------------------------------------------------------------

Cloud thought he was going to throw up.

Going to Icicle Inn had been bad enough, but he had managed to keep his claustrophobia at bay. The trip back though he hadn't been so lucky. The WRO had found some survivors, people who hadn't been in the village at the time or who had managed to grab a chocobo and bolt. As such the helicopter had been at maximum capacity and the cramped space had overwhelmed Cloud. It had taken all his willpower just to keep from trying to bolt. 

Now off the helicopter, he knelt on the tarmac, shaking too violently to stand and gulping air.

Zack crouched beside him and put a hand on his back. "Cloud, what's up?" He asked, concerned.

"I haven't seen him this bad in years." Vincent noted. "We should have called for another transport and stayed with the surviving chocobos."

"What is it?" Zack looked at Vincent.

"Cloud's claustrophobic." Vincent stated like it should be obvious. "The last time I saw him like this was when we commandeered a submarine, I do believe."

"Man, that has to suck." Zack said. "I had no idea."

Cloud just waved it off, trying to get control of his body enough to stop shaking like a leaf in the wind and privately pretty sure this was even worse than the time on the submarine.

"Well...uh...I think our ride to Icicle Inn is refuelling and heading to Junon to help with the evacuations, so I'm going to join them and help where I can." Zack said. "You feel better soon, okay Cloud?" He looked at Vincent. "What will you be doing?"

"I'm going to get Cloud back to Tifa in one piece." Vincent said. "I wish you luck in Junon."

"Thanks." Zack threw a thumbs up. "Might just need it." 

Vincent nodded slightly, remembering the headache it was evacuating Midgar and getting everyone else to shelter. Junon was even bigger than that, but they had time. Hopefully enough time. 

Just as Vincent was turning away to help Cloud to his feet, Zack came hurrying back over to them.

"Oh yeah, before I forget again." Taking out the crystal, he held it out to Vincent. "Better make sure that gets back to where it came from." 

Vincent nodded and pocketed it. "I will. The relic it came from should still be at Seventh Heaven."

"Cool." Zack waved and ran off.

Vincent shook his head at the boundless energy and reached out to help Cloud stand and help him over to his bike, where he let him lean.

"Thanks Vincent." Cloud said faintly after a minute or so. "I don't know why it was so bad."

"Too many people." Vincent murmured. "Engines whining, straining with the overburdened load. It was a bit nervewracking for me as well, to be honest. You did quite well."

"Thanks." Cloud was a bit surprised to hear such praise, but didn't draw attention to it. Of all of his friends, Vincent seemed to understand him the best, which was interesting since Cloud hardly understood him at all. Then again, Vincent was a former Turk and probably could read people much better than Cloud could.

"Are you well enough to drive?" 

Cloud drew in a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah. I'll be fine." He turned to straddle Fenrir and looked back at Vincent. "Not going to come along?"

Vincent looked aside. "I will later." He said. "Chaos...made a decision on my behalf but then fell silent. Its behavior is strange. I need answers." He turned to look at the WRO building. "But I believe I know where to start, and I'd like to have this crystal examined before it's returned to the relic." He moved away. "Drive safe, Cloud."

"Call before you do anything drastic, Vincent!" Cloud called after him, though raising his voice made his stomach flop over. Vincent just raised his right hand in a wave of acknowledgement that he'd heard. Cloud sighed softly and pulled on his driving goggles, though he paused to look up when a helicopter flew overhead, presumably with Zack onboard. Cloud silently wished him luck, a part of him wishing he could have beaten down his claustrophobia so he could have gone with.

\------------------------------------------------------------

When Sephiroth landed at the Forgotten Capital, he told himself it was because he was tired of flying. Considering the distance he had already been flying just to get from Nibelheim to Icicle Inn, all while avoiding detection, it was a valid enough excuse. The truth though was some urge had compelled him to land, and considering that Cloud's memories were still fresh enough in his mind from his forced tenancy, he had a feeling he knew what it was. The question then was, what did the Cetra woman want with him?

The glow of the conch reflecting off the water gave him no answers, nor did the oddly luminescent trees. Sephiroth shook his wing in irritation, but he _was_ tired and this place seemed as good as any. He smiled sardonically when he wondered if the Cetra wanted to lecture him about his former remnants defiling her precious pool once upon a time. Kadaj had indeed had a beautiful sense of irony if nothing else.

As he continued to wait and nothing happened however, he began to wonder if he had really been as compelled as he assumed, or he had come here instead just because it was beautiful. Beauty...what an abstract concept, and a poisonous notion besides. This place held nothing good for him.

He turned to the conch and almost defiantly reached out to put his hand on it, half expecting it to throw him as it had done Cloud when he had been sharing his body, but found only disappointment when nothing happened at all. He ran a gloved hand over the smooth lines almost curiously and then noticing an opening, turned to walk inside.

_"You came."_

The voice was quiet, but it stopped Sephiroth in his tracks and elicited a strange double reaction. Cloud's memories told him he should love the sound of that voice, while the rest of him spat that he should hate it. It confirmed his first suspicion however, and he turned slowly to behold the woman who had drawn him there.

Aerith stared back at him, head slightly tilted back so she could look him in the face and completely unperturbed by Sephiroth's glaring. She seemed perversely happy to see him, in fact. What in the names of all the summons and Genesis's beloved Goddess was wrong with this damn woman?!

"What do you want?" Sephiroth intoned at last.

Aerith did a neat little turn, her body seeming to shimmer briefly and lose consistancy. When Sephiroth's eyes could focus properly again, she was facing the water.

_"The Calamity is waking up."_

The Calamity was what they called Jenova, and Sephiroth frowned, unsure why the confirmation didn't make him happy. "How nice of you to confirm Mother's continued existence."

 _"Not Jenova. The rest of them."_ Aerith responded. She looked back at Sephiroth. _"All of them are waking up."_

Unexpectedly, Sephiroth felt dread. "All of them?"

 _"Yes."_ Aerith turned fully back to him. _"But now there are no more Cetra to stop them."_

Sephiroth arched a brow. "And you expect me to care why?" This sounded about perfect, in fact. If he ignored the cold feeling in the pit of his gut, that was.

Aerith smiled faintly. _"You have an important choice to make. The choice is entirely yours, but I hope you'll choose the Planet."_

Sephiroth's lip curled slightly. "I see no reason to."

Aerith turned away again. _"You know"_ She said. _"I used to think of you like a big brother."_

Oh now what was this tripe? Sephiroth gave her an irritated look and flicked his wing in irritation. Why was he even still speaking with her?

 _"Before my mother and I were able to escape, we'd see you sometimes. I don't think I knew your name back then, but I could never forget you. The boy with green eyes and stained white clothes."_ She wrung her hands. _"I don't know why Hojo let you interact with us. I guess he must have thought it was interesting, but I couldn't mind too much. It was nice to have a friend on the other side of the glass."_

Sephiroth's eyes narrowed. If he cast his mind back to his childhood--a topic he tried to avoid as much as possible--he supposed he could dimly remember a brunette woman and child. He had convinced himself that he had conjured imaginary friends in an attempt to keep his sanity, but now that assumption was being proven untrue.

"Are you trying to elicit sympathy?" He asked instead, his tone carefully cold. "Should I feel sorry for you that Mother in my guise ran you through?"

Aerth shook her head. _"I just wanted you to know that I remembered. It's alright if you don't, but I don't hate you. Even if you help the Quana, I'll just be sad."_

Quana. Sephiroth supposed that had to be the race Jenova belonged to. An interesting tidbit, but hardly worth more than a moment's attention. "I don't particularly care how you feel." He stated, and with that proclamaiton, took to the air, even though he was aware too late how much it looked like running away.


	4. Correlation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long. One of the scenes was giving me a lot of trouble. Hopefully this will have been worth the wait.

"Vincent Valentine." Shelke greeted him when he entered her workroom in the WRO building. She had a cast on her left arm and was thusly forced to type with one hand.

Vincent strode over with a touch more haste when he saw that. "What happened?" Had someone hurt her?

Shelke smiled at the growl in his voice. "I fell badly." She explained. "The treatments come with the risk of more fragile bones. I must simply double my dose of calcium supplements and be more careful."

"Hm." Vincent nodded slightly. "I'd like you to do something for me, if you can." He pulled the relic crystal out of his pocket and held it out to her. "This crystal has some strange properties."

Shelke turned so she could take the crystal with her good hand and squinted at it. "Interesting." She said. "But I'm not a scientist. Would not they be better than I?"

"Possibly." Vincent said. "But I thought you might like to look at it first."

Shelke looked up at him and wondered if he saw her as an extension of Lucrecia, or assumed that having her memories meant that she shared in her interests. Or possibly he saw her as like her sister, who had shown a definite interest in Lucrecia's research herself. That second theory was more satisfactory than the first. Though Shelke was nothing like either woman, she much preferred the idea of being compared to her sister. "Is it connected to Chaos?"

"No. Or at least I don't believe so." Vincent said. "It belongs to a relic Cloud found. Apparently it has the power to draw souls back into bodies."

Suddenly Shelke was a lot more interested. "Restore the dead. So it works akin to a phoenix down?" Her eyes widened then. "Is this what restored Zack Fair and Angeal Hewley?" Vincent nodded and she looked back at the crystal again. Here it was. The key to bringing back her sister. "May I keep it? For examination purposes?"

"I was going to bring it to some of the WRO scientists, but when they're done I suppose." Vincent said.

Shelke palmed the crystal. "They may damage it." She stated. "I will be far more careful."

Vincent arched a brow at her sudden change in tune, but then he nodded. "Alright." 

"Thank you. I will let you know my findings." 

"There's one more thing, Shelke." Vincent drew in a breath. "Chaos has become fully sapient. It's capable of speech now. Was there anything in Lucrecia's research that talked about something like that happening?"

"Not that I can recall." Shelke put the crystal in her pocket. "Though as you have brought up Lucrecia, that reminded me of a very troubling discovery I made." She motioned at her arm. "It's why I fell in fact, for it startled me badly." She licked her lips. "I did a Synaptic Net Dive in an attempt to discover possible substitutes for the Protomateria when I came across malicious code. Specifically, this code is in fact Professor Hojo's neural data."

Vincent's eyes narrowed and he found his hand coming to rest on Cerberus. "Hojo had downloaded himself into Weiss."

"Yes, as you had said. However, it would seem that Hojo made several copies of himself. Potentially while he was in control of Weiss to prepare for contingencies."

Vincent nodded slightly. Yes, that sounded like something Hojo would do. "Are you alright? Other than your arm."

"I caused a bad headache from tearing myself out of the SND so quickly, but other than my arm I have recovered fully. I don't believe he noticed me."

Vincent was inclined to disagree, but since Shelke wasn't showing a dramatic change in personality, he was willing to believe she had escaped unscathed. "Do you think you could find a way to...destroy that data? Safely?"

"I believe I can." Shelke said. "But it is also entirely possible that he could hold the answers we need."

Vincent made a slashing motion with his gauntlet hand. "It's too much of a risk. Hojo was brilliant, but he was also hopelessly twisted. It isn't worth it. No."

Shelke inclined her head. "Very well. I will see about destruction or containment then." 

Vincent nodded to Shelke, and considering the matter settled, turned to go. "If you come across any new information on Chaos, let me know." He said when he reached the door.

"I will." Shelke promised. She waited a few moments after Vincent was gone and then turned back to her console, beginning to type furiously with one hand. She respected Vincent's wariness toward Hojo, but she knew it was a risk she had to take. Besides, she wasn't Weiss. If Weiss had been able to do what was necessary, then the Tsviets wouldn't have needed her in the first place. Hojo had the information she needed to resurrect Shalua, and once she had placed in a few safeguards, she would extract that information.

\------------------------------------------------------------

Sometimes Cloud wished there was a back entrance to Seventh Heaven, mostly so he coud avoid a lecture from Tifa, but sometimes--as in this case--so he could avoid curious patrons. Fortunately there were only a few when Cloud dragged himself into the bar and headed straight for the counter. Tifa watched him approach, worry written all over her face.

"Were there any survivors?" She asked softly when he reached her.

"A few, and some animals." Cloud replied. "The WRO evacuated them to their Edge location. I don't know what's happening from there."

"And Sephiroth?"

Cloud shook his head slightly. "...He maintained he wasn't responsible. Though...Tifa, he said some other things that has me worried." He hesitated and rubbed his face, feeling it was crazy to even think it, let alone say it out loud. "Sephiroth thinks Jenova is still alive."

"That's impossible!" Tifa hissed and glanced toward her patrons. "The last of her died when you killed Sephiroth's remnants!"

"Did she? Sephiroth pointed out that he has her cells, and that I and possibly Zack still do as well. Everyone who had and was cured of Geostigma presumably have Jenova's cells. Dormant maybe, but apparently still in our blood." Suddenly this was sounding a lot less crazy. "That damned Reunion theory of Hojo's, and the crater is still there. There's just...a few things that aren't quite adding up. I think we need to try and talk to Aerith."

"Talk to Aerith?" Tifa frowned. "...I was surprised when she showed up at the Forgotten City, but Sephiroth had just been thrown out of you and...." She trailed off. "You're right, Cloud. If there's any chance that Aerith can help us, we need to try. She would know what's going on better than we do." She rubbed her arms. "If only we could bring her back to us...."

"I know, but I think the only way would be with the relic and to I think that requires an intact body....it's not so cold up there that Aerith's would still be in one piece even if we could find it in the depths of that pool." Cloud rubbed his face. "Of course if we'd had a fucking Phoenix Down when it had happened in the first place--"

Tifa put a hand on his arm. "Enough. Let's not worry about the past. Let's just get to the Forgotten City."

"Right." Cloud let out a heavy breath and dropped his hand, then reached for his phone to call Cid, only for it to go straight to voice mail. Calling the home phone got Shera and an explanation that Cid was off helping with the evacuations of Junon. Cloud thanked her and hung up. "Well, so much for that. I should have realized with the tidal waves heading for shore no one is going to--wait." Cloud dialed another number.

"Strife. How interesting." Rufus answered after the third ring. "And to what do I owe this call?"

"Are your Turks available?"

"Hm? That would depend on why you want to borrow them."

Cloud moved around behind the bar and into the house portion so the patrons wouldn't be able to hear him, putting his back against the wall. "Sephiroth. You know he's alive and was near Icicle Inn. I'd think your company would be interested in that."

Rufus chuckled lowly. "So you want my help to bring down Sephiroth?"

"No. I just need a Turk and a helicopter to get there and even if you and I are square, you owe a debt to this world."

"These are some of my favorite conversations. Nothing better than some old fashioned blackmail."

"I haven't even started to blackmail you, but I could if that will get the job done. Zack and Angeal have told me some pretty dark stuff you probably wouldn't want people to know about." That was a total bluff of course, but it was worth a try.

"Is that so? You know, normally when someone has information on Shinra that the company doesn't want leaked, I just have them killed. That's what the original kill order on Zack Fair and you was about, after all."

Cloud felt his blood run cold. "....What do you mean?"

"Do you think the showdown on the cliffs over Midgar was coincidence? My father didn't want either of you bringing to light the experiments Hojo was doing. Ironically, the leader of the Turks at the time tried to overturn it, which I suppose is why you were spared. Too bad about Fair though."

The phone creaked as Cloud's fingers squeezed it. "....Son of a bitch."

Rufus laughed. "Not to worry. I'm not my father, and recent years have given me a change of heart. Still, you should keep that in mind the next time you try to claim you have dirt on my company."

Cloud clenched his jaw. "....Fine. I'll make my own way." He hung up and was about to tuck his phone away again when it rang. After a moment of hesitation in which he considered just letting it go to voicemail, he answered it.

"Don't be so hasty. I didn't say I wouldn't help you." Rufus said, still sounding damnably amused.

"What's the price then, Shinra?" Cloud growled. "Keeping quiet about those secrets?"

Rufus chuckled. "If you had anything concrete on me or my company, I would know about it."

"Cloud?"

About to answer Rufus, Cloud turned instead to see that Denzel had come down the stairs while he'd been talking. 

"Shinra?" Denzel's fists were clenched. 

Cloud nodded slightly, and remembered that Denzel knew full well who had really dropped the plate on Sector Seven in Midgar and killed his parents and many of their neighbors. "Yes." He added, taking the phone away from his ear. "Rufus Shinra."

"Why are you talking to him?"

Cloud heard Rufus ask what was going on, but he ignored him and went over to Denzel instead. If he had to, he would find another way or he would just wait until Cid or a WRO copter could take him. Denzel was more important than placating Rufus. 

He knelt down in front of Denzel. "I need to get somewhere, and he has the resources to help me get there." 

Denzel just stared at Cloud for several moments, looking hurt. It was one thing when he'd tolerated the Turks and Rufus in the bar before, but then Marlene had been there to keep him calm. However, this seemed to be different.

"Denzel." Cloud said, and set the phone down entirely. "Sometimes you have to do things, work with people you don't like, for reasons that are more important than why you don't like someone or something." He paused a beat. "Rufus isn't the one who hurt your family, and maybe, in his own way, he's trying to make his own amends."

Denzel sniffed and wiped his eyes, then turned to go upstairs without a word. Cloud sighed softly and picked up the phone again. "Rufus?"

"Yes, Cloud?"

"I do have dirt on your company. You and I both know who murdered the citizens of Midgar's Sector Seven and you just admitted yourself why Zack was murdered. I don't give a damn who was running the company at that time, and you know others won't care either. But I'm willing to let the past stay the past and give you a chance to do better. Whether you help me now or not, you have a lot more innocent blood on your hands. You still have to live with that."

"A fine speech, if an unneeded one." Rufus said. "A helicopter will meet you outside of Edge soon. Don't be late." He disconnected.

Cloud sighed and shook his head, then stood up and put his phone away. Instead of turning to leave though, he headed upstairs to Marlene and Denzel's room to find Marlene sitting beside Denzel on his bed and rubbing his back while he muffled his sobs into his pillow.

"Marlene." Cloud intoned softly. "Can I have a minute with Denzel?"

"Okay, Cloud." Marlene rubbed Denzel's back one last time and hopped off the bed to leave, though she paused by Cloud to squeeze his hand before leaving the room and closing the door behind herself. Cloud took a moment to marvel at how mature she was for only eight years old, but then he supposed the kind of life she'd had lately had forced her to grow up a bit fast.

He moved to sit down in the spot she'd vacated, though he put his hands in his lap instead of reaching out to touch him.

"Four years..." Denzel muttered into his pillow.

"Hm?"

"Tomorrow..."

"Ah." Cloud looked up toward the ceiling. Four years since Sector Seven was wiped out, Denzel meant. Four years since all those innocents died. Had it really only been such a short time? "Do you want to light some candles for them tonight, Denzel?"

"Mm..."

"Alright. We'll do that when I get back." Hopefully he'd return. He was going to the Northern Continent to seek Aerith's spirit, but Sephiroth was presumably still over there too and the temptation to take Cloud out would probably be too great if the opportunity presented itself to him. He'd just have to make sure to remember Merciless. 

"Cloud?"

"Yes, Denzel?"

"When will I be strong like you?" Denzel sat up, wiping his face. "When can I learn how to fight and be strong?"

Cloud pursed his lips and fixed his gaze on a spot on the far wall. "...You know, when I was around your age, I wondered the same thing."

Denzel gave him an exasperated look he didn't see. "That's what adults always say."

Cloud chuckled softly. "I suppose we do, but it's the truth." He sobered again. "When I was around nine or ten, a person I wanted to be friends with lost their mom. She was convinced that if she could climb the mountain behind Nibelheim, she could find her again. I followed her, I knew I couldn't stop her from going but I thought I could keep her safe. I failed, and we both fell. I just got banged up a little, but she nearly died and everyone blamed me. I blamed myself too, and I was so angry. I got into fights. I wanted to make myself stronger." He looked down at his hands and flexed his fingers. "It wasn't real strength though."

Denzel sat back and drew his legs up to his chest. "So you went to Shinra to become strong?"

"Yeah, that's pretty much what happened. I guess I got my wish. But in the end..." Cloud turned to look at him. "It's all of you who make me strong. You're already strong. Maybe not physically, but here." He tapped Denzel's chest. "That's where it counts the most. You don't have to be able to do what I can to be strong."

"I want to be able to do what you do, though." Denzel stated.

"Hm." Cloud smiled slightly. "I think you could handle some of my smaller swords. How about we find some time to practice out back soon?"

"Really?!" Denzel forgot completely about his bad mood and perked up. "You mean it?!"

Cloud nodded, and the next moment found Denzel's arms around his neck.

"Thank you, Cloud!" Denzel let go and sat back again before Cloud could consider how to react. "I won't let you down, I promise!"

"I know you'll try hard, Denzel.' Cloud said. "I need to go now, and I'll pick up some candles on the way back."

Denzel sobered a bit at that and nodded solemnly, but couldn't completely dim his excitement. He watched Cloud leave before flopped onto his back on the bed.

\------------------------------------------------------------

Zack sat in an alleyway in Junon, Buster Sword fallen beside him and legs drawn up to his chest while he shivered as if he was freezing, unable to understand why he felt so terrified.

Well, that was technically untrue. He knew why he was scared. There were Infantrymen everywhere, and while a lot of them were in Kymera Enviro colors, the uniforms themselves were practically the same as Shinra's and they all kept _staring at him!_

Sure they might have just been taking note of the sword on his back, but there had been countless dozens facing him on the cliffs over Midgar and chances were very good that they remembered him. After all, he was pretty damn memorable. Zack had thought he could push through the anxiety until he caught one in the middle of checking the sight on his rifle and happened to point it in Zack's direction. It hadn't seemed intentional as he had jerked it down again when he'd realized he was aiming at someone, but the damage had been done and Zack had only just barely managed not to run, stumbling into the alley where he now huddled.

He didn't understand this level of terror. He'd never been this frightened of anything in his life, and it was so ridiculous! He remembered having a similar reaction in Reactor Zero when they were fighting the Genesis clones, but he'd been fine in the end there. Here there was no battle, no gunfire, so why was he freaking out like this?! It wasn't like they would gun him down even if they did recognize him, so why couldn't he calm down?!

He stayed like that for several minutes before someone touched his shoulder. Before Zack had time to acknowledge who had touched him, he was on his feet, Buster Blade in hand.

"Whoa, Zack!" Kunsel held up his hands defensively. "It's just me!"

"...Kunsel." Zack sighed heavily and let the end of the blade touch the ground. "Sorry man. You startled me."

"No kidding." Kunsel let his arms drop. "What's got you so jumpy?" 

"Mm." Zack shook his head. "Ah...it's hard to explain, and it's pretty dumb honestly." He was starting to feel a bit calmer now that he had a familiar face to look at.

"Okay...well, come on. Since you're here, we can always use more help. Luxiere is trying to coax a puppy out of a drainpipe. Maybe you can work your skills on it." Kunsel grinned.

Zack rolled his eyes and hefted his sword onto his back. "Asshole. How do you even know about that nickname?"

"Know about what?" Kunsel arched a brow. "I just mean you're good with animals."

"Y'uh huh." Zack gave him a light punch in the arm as he passed him, but found himself promptly freezing when he was given the jarring reminder that the entire Infantry from both companies were out in force.

"Zack? ....Oh. Oh, I get it now." Kunsel's expression darkened when he saw where his friend's gaze was. "Come on. Let's go find Luxiere. We won't let the bastards get anywhere near you."

"....Thanks, Kun." Zack squeezed his eyes shut and gave himself a shake, then turned toward him. "Lead on." He found he was clenching his jaw to keep his teeth from chattering, but he _had this_ , damnit! He would be _fine_!

\------------------------------------------------------------

"Took you long enough!" Reno hollered when Cloud pulled up to the chopper. "I was about to leave without you!"

"Sure." Cloud left his driving goggles with the bike and pulled his swords free. He paused long enough to fully assemble the weapon and stepped over, giving Reno a surly look before stepping past him to board the helicopter.

"What's with that look?" Reno followed, shutting the door before heading for the cockpit where Rude was already sitting. He turned back to toss Cloud a headset to both muffle the noise of the chopper and allow them to remain in contact easily. 

"I just had a reminder earlier that tomorrow marks the fourth anniversary of you dropping Sector Seven." Cloud replied flatly before putting the headset on.

Reno stared at him for a few moments before he blew his breath out in a rush and jammed his own headset on. He tapped the mic. "Mic check."

"Check." Rude said.

"Check." Cloud said in the same flat tone, and chose a seat to strap into.

"Oi, are you gonna be like this the whole way? I'm not sure I'm being paid enough for this." Reno stated even as he swung into the pilot's chair. He blew out his breath again when Cloud didn't answer and started the pre-flight check. Soon enough they were into the air, and Reno lasted a whole ten minutes before the silence made him antsy.

"So why're we chauffeuring you anyway?" 

"Rufus didn't tell you?"

"Nope. He just told us to head to Edge and wait for you."

Cloud huffed a sardonic laugh and didn't reply for a few moments. "I'm going to try to talk to a dead woman."

"Ehh?!"

Cloud chuckled again, and Reno could swear the skin around his neck was trying to crawl up his head. "I'm talking about Aerith, Reno. Weird things are going on at the Northern Crater, and she's shown she can manifest in the living world. I'm hoping she can do it again and she can tell us what's going on."

"Well _that's_ not creepy at all." Reno muttered. "What's going on at the Crater anyway? Besides the fact that the bastard who was _supposed_ to be locked up in your head is running around?!"

"Interestingly enough Sephiroth doesn't seem to be responsible, though he mentioned Jenova when the subject of the Crater came up." 

"....And you're saying the President knew about all this?"

"Not everything, no. But we both know how smart Rufus is. He'll put the pieces together. Besides, you guys already know what's in the Crater, don't you?"

"Eugh..." Reno shuddered. "The only thing I saw in the Crater was Sephiroth's creepy remnants when they kidnapped Tseng and Elena, and I ain't goin' back there for all the gil in the world!"

"Fine. Just take me to the Forgotten City."

Reno flicked the coms over to the private channel. "We are _definitely_ not being paid enough for this." He commented to Rude.

Rude nodded in agreement, his eyes on the sky ahead of them. 

Reno blew his breath out again and focused on their destination as well. When they got back to Junon, he figured it would be a good time to ask for a raise.

**Author's Note:**

> Cloud's [swords](http://i48.tinypic.com/dlkl51.jpg).


End file.
